Hoxhaj: Serbia is behind roadblocks

• Hoxhaj: Serbia is behind roadblocks (dailies)
• Serwer: Nikolic is giving signs of division (Koha Ditore)
• The office, Municipality of northern Mitrovica (Zëri)
• KFOR moves unhindered through the north (Koha Ditore)
• Cooper will not be facilitator in the dialogue Kosovo – Serbia? (Koha Ditore)
• Bogdanovic calls provocation opening of the Office in the north (dailies)
• Ferati: No negotiations on the north (dailies)
• The north incites conflicts (Express)
• Fund-raising evening for the north (Zëri)
• Announcements in vain (Express)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Hoxhaj: Serbia is behind roadblocks (dailies)
In an interview for Deutsche Welle, Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj strongly condemned the attack by Serb paramilitary and criminal groups on KFOR troops in the north of Kosovo saying that KFOR’s action was intended to ensure freedom of movement for citizens and goods, principles on which the EU rests. “At the same time, I have to say that the Government of Serbia stands behind these barricades. Those who prevented their removal are members of the Serbian police units, special units and paramilitaries and not ordinary citizens,” said Hoxhaj.

Hoxhaj noted that the international community should put pressure on Belgrade to disband parallel structures in Kosovo. “Not only security in Kosovo but security in the whole of the Balkans depends on the situation in the north,” warned Hoxhaj.

Serwer: Nikolic is giving signs of division (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that Kosovo and the Balkans have entered a dangerous period of divisions. American analyst Daniel Serwer evaluates that the behavior of the new Serbian president, Tomislav Nikolic, will create division. A division, which according to the well know expert of the Balkans, would not only involve Kosovo, but the whol Balkans up to Cyprus. Serwer, calls on the five EU countries which do not recognize Kosovo to do so, in order to be prevent such a development. Server concludes that in the EU there is prejudice towards Kosovo and Albanians. According to him those prejudices should be challenged. “Nikolic may have said many things and done many things in the past, but I am not worried about that. I want to know what he is going to do now. The first signals are not good. He visited Russia immediately after he was elected. In addition, right away newspaper started to publish articles with some of my colleagues who are talking about the division throughout Balkans and these are not good signs”, said Server.

The office, Municipality of northern Mitrovica (Zëri)
Sources told the paper that it is surprising that public opinion in Kosovo has not realized that the opening of the administrative office in the northern Mitrovica also marks the establishment of the new municipality at this part of the city. “The new municipality building is in Bosniak Mahalla. Logistic work has been completed there; computers have been set up and all equipment necessary for staff of the municipality of northern Mitrovica is in place. Contracts are ready for the staff and the recruitment process is ongoing,” said an unnamed international official.

Integration Minister Vlora Çitaku said the Government didn’t hide anything and confirmed that the opening of the office implies the creation of the new municipality. “The decision also implies the beginning of implementation of the Government’s vision on which your paper has already reported, and this plan is in full accordance to President Ahtisaari’s Package,” Çitaku told Zëri.

KFOR moves unhindered through the north (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that it was quiet in the north of Kosovo with KFOR moving. About 20 KFOR vehicles passed unhindered by Serbs, who on Friday, said that they would not allow KFOR and EULEX traffic to pass. The KFOR convoy started from Nothing Hill base and continued to Albanian villages in the north then returned to Mitrovica. Serbs, while commenting on this for Belgrade media, said that they don’t want to fall for provocations and that all the issue should be solved through dialogue.

Cooper will not be facilitator in the dialogue Kosovo – Serbia? (Koha Ditore)
Koha Ditore reports that the European facilitator in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Robert Cooper, intends to withdraw from this function at the beginning of next month, reported Serbian media. A high international diplomat, who preferred to remain anonymous, said for Serb media that Cooper intends to resign on 1 July to facilitate in Myanmar (Burma), where there is an ongoing democratic transition. This news, according to Serb media, was denied by the Spokeswoman of the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Maja Kocijancic, who said that “this information is not accurate”, “Cooper is the facilitator in the dialogue and he received new guidelines on what he needs to do further on”, said Kocijancic.



Bogdanovic calls opening of the Office in the north a provocation (dailies)
The Serbian Minister for Kosovo, Goran Bogdanovic, said that the opening of the Administration Office in the north “is a provocation by Pristina and one part of the international community which supports the Kosovar Government in its efforts to integrate the north in the state of Kosovo”. “The opening of that Office will only raise tensions. The problems in the north of Kosovo and in Mitrovica cannot be solved this way. We have local governance which is in the service of citizens and the only administration, where Serbs are exercising their rights”, said Bogdanovic for Serbian media.

Ferati: No negotiations on the north (dailies)
Former Minister of Local Administration Sadri Ferati opposed the idea of a political dialogue on the north. “Entering into talks with Belgrade on the north means: a loss of years, feeding of Serbia’s ambitions and encouraging the violent resistance taking place in the north,” said Ferati.

The north incites conflicts (Express)
Express reports that former diplomat, Morton Abramowitz, said the Balkans could flare up with new violence because of north Mitrovica. Now after the election of Tomislav Nikolic as the President of Serbia, Abramowitz says that things have gotten more complicated. In a text, Abramowitz said the new president does not differ from his predecessor Boris Tadic as far as Kosovo is concerned, but his entourage differs in opinion, as a result he suggests the EU to talk with Serb officials. “The EU hopes that with large financial help and with the promise of membership it can change the political climate in Serbia and that political leadership will be more tolerant towards the independence of Kosovo”, writes Abramowitz.

Fund-raising evening for the north (Zëri)
The paper reports that Mitrovica regional chamber of commerce and the city’s municipality are hosting a reception tonight in Pristina to urge the business community to donate funds for the reconstruction of Albanian houses in the north of Mitrovica. Under the slogan “You can help too” the evening will focus on raising as much money as possible to reconstruct the remaining houses in the north of the city.

Announcements in vain (Express)
Express reports that First Deputy Prime Minister Behgjet Pacolli announced that in Autumn Kosovo could apply for UN membership, angering lobbyists of Kosovo independence in Washington and New York. Sources of Express say that the application will happen only when the votes are secured and when it is possible to avoid the Russia and China veto. Pacolli mentioned that 100 recognitions have been secured in order to apply for UN membership. Regarding Russia and China vetos, Pacolli stated that the three digit number of recognitions could influence the stance of Moscow and Beijing.


Kosovo Press Headlines

Koha Ditore

Front page
• Serwer: Nikolic signaling division
• Students demand dismissal and arrest of Rector Mujë Rugova
• Cooper will no longer facilitate Kosovo-Serbia dialogue?
• Coalition partner: The sovereign will sanction Thaçi for not giving us a ministry

Other headlines
• 109kg of narcotics confiscated, three persons arrested (2)
• KFOR moves unhindered in the north (4)
• Bogdanovic calls opening of office in the north a provocation (4)
• Serbian flag hoisted up again at the Shtërpce municipality building (4)
• Hoxhaj: Serbia is behind roadblocks (5)
• Citizens use Bllaca’s former telephone numbers (5)
• Palokaj: On whose side is EU in the north of Kosovo? (10)

Zëri

Front page
• Konjufca: Dino asked for money from me
• The office, municipality of northern Mitrovica
• Serbia orchestrated attack on KFOR
• No extradition request for Harel
• Serbia’s “JAT” to be privatized together with “Air Prishtina”

Other headlines
• There should be no negotiations on the north (2)
• Dacic threatens KFOR (2)
• Useless extension of mandate (3)
• Nikolic reviews agreements (4)
• SKV: Prison for Rugova…(5)
• 109kg of narcotics confiscated (5)
• BI: Kosovo, the ninth in the world for poverty (8)
• Fund-raising evening for the north (13)

Kosova Sot

Front page
• Construction, place for money laundering
• People with criminal inkling in the police
• Confiscation of old Serbian license plates continues
• Editorial: One envelope for Albania

Other headlines
• Abramowitz: The west doesn’t want Nikolic (2)
• Cooper withdraws? (4)
• Hoxhaj: Serbia’s police prevented removal of barricades (4)
• Nikolic promises to unveil agreements with Pristina (4)
• Forget about elections this year! (4)

Epoka e Re

Front page
• US supports KFOR and EULEX in the north
• Second attempt
• Opposition: Not a new format of talks for the north
• Kuçi: Thaçi decides about the reformatting of the Government

Other headlines
• Abramowitz: EU and US don’t want Nikolic (2)
• Hoxhaj: Government of Serbia behind barricades (3)
• Bogdanovic: Office in the north raises tensions (4)
• KFOR convoy moves freely in the north (5)
• PDK and LDK aim to win in Kacanik (7)
• Police confiscate 109 kilograms of Marijuana (10)

Express

Front page
• Announcements in vain
• They think about discharge
• Unemployment without change

Other headlines
• The north incites conflicts (4)
• The courts joints the case of the President (5)
• Serbia in barricades (5)
• The Office in the north raises tensions (6)
• Nikolic’s tricks (6)
• What dialogue? (6)
• Confiscated 109 kilograms of Marijuana (9)

Bota Sot

Front page
• The north does not unite them, LDK say no to technical Government
• Administrative Office or some sort of a ministry of Kosovo in the north?
• Serbs are afraid they don’t trust their leaders anymore

Other headlines
• Hoxhaj: Serbia is behind roadblocks (3)
• Serwer: Nikolic should give explanations to Merkel (3)
• USA calls on Serbia to stop financing parallel structures (4)
• Bogdanovic: Office in the north raises tensions (6)
• KFOR convoy moves freely in the north (6)
• Tense but calm in north of Kosovo (8)
• Serbian flag again in the Shtrpce municipal building (10)